


to my beloved, to my future

by Cygrus



Category: Free!
Genre: M/M, Parenthood
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-11-22
Updated: 2014-11-22
Packaged: 2018-02-26 15:56:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,244
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2657849
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cygrus/pseuds/Cygrus
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After years together, Haruka believes that he's seen everything that Rin has to offer. However, through the help of a tiny footed toddler, he finds that he has yet to discover everything there is to know about the man he loves.</p>
            </blockquote>





	to my beloved, to my future

**Author's Note:**

> For day 3 of RH Week! Prompt is Couples Day(Parenthood) mixed with Letters For You.

The day that they crash landed into each other’s lives was one that was hard to forget for the both of them. They had only been at a tender age, neither knowing how their futures would so deeply intertwine, how they had the scenery of a distant horizon laid out before their unknowing eyes. 

They didn’t know how they would clash, how they would hurt, how they would make up. Laughing together, crying together, holding each other as close as possible, afraid they might wake up from a perfect dream that had never been real. Falling in love, deciding they wanted to spend their lives with one another...

Neither regretted a moment of it; everything that had happened between them only led up to happier days together. Normal days, actually, complete with a fair share of squabbles, kisses, affectionate touches that made their hearts quiver.

It was certain, though, that at the ages of twelve, neither could have imagined that they would be living together years later, sharing the same kitchen, living room, tub, futon. And they certainly wouldn’t have predicted that a child would be joining them.

It had been almost a year since their son had been brought into the world. With Gou’s much needed and appreciated help, everything had gone smoothly, and now the child, Sakura, was a part of their daily routines. He was a decision that neither would ever regret; a shining light in a life that was already glowing with bliss. 

He was _also_ the reason that both had decided it was time for a change of scenery. Or, rather, just a change in apartments. With him growing, the space in their old home seemed to diminish, the two grown men sometimes struggling to work around each other, being careful to not step on a sleeping baby in the process.

Their careers paid them decently enough; if they had wanted, they could have afforded something a bit more extravagant than what they ended up choosing. But the two of them hadn’t been raised like that, and much preferred sticking to something simple, big enough for their family of three. 

There was really only one awful thing about moving; the unpacking. The unpacking, the folding, the arguing about where things should go and where they shouldn’t. They hadn’t even been able to properly decorate their own bedroom, still stuck on making sure that the living room looked presentable. With unopened boxes, their futon, and play toys littering the floor, they were hardly even close to finishing.

Knife in hand, Haruka set to work. Cutting through tape and opening flaps, he went from box to box, sometimes pulling out things he knew they would need at some point in the near future. The clothes that were stuffed inside the small spaces made his stomach twist, his mind immediately going to the ridiculous amounts of laundry he would have to do to get the musty smell out of the fabrics. 

Well, that could be a team effort, surely. A team effort like opening boxes, a team effort that Rin was definitely _not_ helping him with. Peering back at the other man, who sat cross legged with a dopey grin and spread out arms, he scoffed. 

“Rin.”

Ignored at first, he fell silent when he saw Sakura toddling into Rin’s arms, falling against his father’s chest. Rin giggled along with the child, holding him up and congratulating him, stating that his walking skills were astounding and that they would all be going on morning jogs in no time. It was only a recent thing that Sakura had learned, making Haruka’s chest warm up every time he witnessed it, but he doubted that jogging would be in the picture anytime soon.

No, he couldn’t let himself get distracted by such heartfelt moments. There was a mission at hand. Clearing his throat, he spoke again. “Rin. Help me with the boxes.”

A groan shortly followed his request. Placing Sakura in his lap, Rin knitted his brows together, lower lip jutted out. “Haru, come on. All we’ve been doing lately is unpacking. It’s alright to take a break--”

“Since when have _you_ been one to take breaks.”

“Since I became a father.” Sticking his tongue out at Haruka, Rin returned to playing around with their child, helping him to stand up. “Sakura, go mess with Daddy.”

“Rin--” 

“Lighten up, Haru~. You know, he’s been telling me he wants more attention from you.” 

A sigh slipped out and Haruka put the knife somewhere out of reach, turning and mimicking Rin’s cross legged position. “He can’t talk yet.”

“...Mind reading?”

“Shut up.” 

Focusing his attention on Sakura, Haruka held his hands out, beckoning for the boy to come to him. Eagerly, Sakura waddled over, placing his small hands into Haruka’s palms and squealing. A gentle smile played at Haruka’s lips, and Rin’s heart felt as if it had melted at the very sight. He would never get tired of that kind of expression from the mellow man he so loved. 

Closing his fingers around Sakura’s hands, Haruka pulled him closer, snorting when the baby toppled over into his lap with a giggle. Him and Rin exchanged glances before Rin clapped his hands together, wanting for Sakura to come to him again. 

“Sakura,” Haruka murmured, lifting the child up. “Go pull Papa’s hair.”

“ _Hey._ Don’t teach him weird things.” Offput by Haruka’s words, Rin huffed, but took Sakura into his arms when he approached. After planting a kiss on the boy’s forehead and grunting when the small fingers found their way to one of his locks of hair, he looked to Haruka with a brow raised. “See? This is _way_ more fun than just-- Ow.” He paused to get Sakura’s hands untangled, wanting to spare himself the pain, but it was to no avail. “Way more fun than just unpacking boxes.”

Haruka only silently shrugged, but he had to agree with Rin. He was tired of boxes, for sure, but that was why they needed to get the cursed things out of sight as soon as possible. “Rin, didn’t I ask you to put Sakura down for his nap an hour ago?”

“Ah…” Caught red handed, Rin turned his eyes away from Haruka’s unforgiving glare, the corners of his lips turned up in a guilty smile. “Well, yes, but he wanted to play. We have to tire him out first, ya know.”

Haruka wasn’t buying it. Turning back to the boxes and grabbing for the knife, he began to work again, feeling like he would rather take a nap himself. Having a baby and sleeping properly definitely did _not_ go hand in hand.

Staring at the back of his head, Rin grunted and stood, rubbing Sakura’s back as he moved to put the child down on the multiple blankets and pillows sprawled out on the floor. Patting his head, Rin returned to Haruka, sitting next to him and leaning against his shoulder.

“Haru, I’ll help… So stop pouting already.” 

“Not pouting.”

“Are so.”

Laughing softly, Rin wrapped an arm around Haruka’s waist, pushing his weight further onto the other man with lips puckered. Haruka tried to escape, leaning away from Rin’s surprise attack with a grimace. “Rin--”

“Haru~.”

“Rin. Stop.”

Of course he didn’t listen. Haruka groaned when he hit the ground, Rin laying on top of him with a smug grin, proud of his little victory. Mouth drawn into a fine line, Haruka grabbed at Rin’s cheeks and pulled him into a chaste kiss, hoping that would be enough to satisfy him. 

“Get off--”

Both men grunted when an extra weight fell onto Rin’s back, unintelligible babbling filling the air as Sakura joined their little dogpile. Sakura curled his fingers into the fabric of Rin’s shirt, and Rin immediately laughed, rolling off of Haruka and letting the baby rest on his stomach. With all the unneeded weight now off of him, Haruka was able to sit up, lifting his fingers to brush them against Sakura’s cheek, the boy grabbing for one digit and gnawing on his skin.

“Told you, Haru. He won’t sleep, even if you tell him to.” 

“Mhm…” 

Taking his hand away from Sakura, Haruka combed his fingers through Rin’s hair instead, ruffling up what was already messy from their lazy day around the apartment. The other pouted but allowed it, taking Haruka’s wrist a few moments later and kissing at his palm, nuzzling into it and sighing against his skin. Quiet moments were some of Rin’s favorites. Haruka felt the same.

A gurgle broke their tranquil silence, Sakura slapping his hand against Rin’s chest from where he sat on his father’s stomach, brows knitted together. Rin snorted and leaned up, taking the child’s face between his hands and squishing his cheeks together. “Are you asking for attention?”

“Ahh…!” 

Resting his head on Rin’s shoulder, Haruka smiled softly. “He’s like you. Doesn’t like to be ignored.”

“ _No one_ likes that,” Rin countered. “And I don’t _beg_ for attention. I’m not a baby.” 

“Debatable.” He smiled when Rin puffed up before he moved away, taking Sakura into his arms. He was getting nowhere with the boxes, and with Rin distracting him, things would only continue like that. Putting on the sternest face he could muster up, which was still pretty weak, he spoke. “Rin.”

“...What.”

“If you don’t want to open boxes that badly, then you can go get stuff for dinner.” 

Brightening at that statement, Rin cocked an eyebrow up, a grin spreading over his face. “ _Oh?_ So you mean to tell me that _I_ get to choose what we have for once?” 

“No. I have a list.”

His hopes dashed, the smile was replaced with a sneer, and he felt crestfallen. “You’re so stingy~.” Knowing he had no choice, though, he stood and stretched his legs and arms, a yawn slipping out and a groan that had been lodged in his throat sounding. “Alright, I’ll go.”

“List is in the kitchen.”

“Yes, yes.” 

After retrieving it and shrugging on a jacket, Rin leaned over Haruka and kissed the top of his head, then ruffled the tufts of hair that Sakura had. The baby grabbed onto his finger and tried to gnaw on it, but Rin snatched it away before he had the chance.

“If you’re just going to keep unpacking, I could take Sakura with me. Get him out of your way.” 

“It’s cold outside. Don’t bother. I’ll put him down for a nap.” Haruka said that, but his main reasoning went a little deeper. He wasn’t fond of the two of them going out on their own. He had seen how women flocked to Rin before-- Giving off the appearance of a single father only made him more tantalizing.

Rin hummed and shrugged, accepting it, though he wished that Haruka would let him take his own son out on the town more often. Slipping on his shoes at the entrance and patting his back pocket to make sure his wallet was secure there, he gave an, _“I’m off!”_ before heading out the door into the nippy air that rushed in, sending goosebumps down Haruka’s arms. 

With Rin gone, the door latching behind him, Haruka looked down to the child in his lap, who sat staring up at him with wide eyes. Slowly, Sakura reached up and tapped a hand against Haruka’s cheek, a sliver of drool dripping out of the corner of his mouth. Wiping it with the bib around Sakura’s neck, Haruka got up from his spot, rubbing Sakura’s back as he put the child on his bed of blankets once more.

“Go to sleep,” he said, tone soft despite his attempt to be assertive. He couldn’t help but pamper the child; he wanted to make sure Sakura had plenty of love in his life from both parents. 

All Sakura did was wiggle and move to get up again, whining when Haruka didn’t allow him to do so. His legs pulled up and he grabbed his ankle, a pout forming on his small mouth. Just through his eyes alone, Haruka knew he was trying to say, _“Let me have fun!”_

Pursing his lips, he let out a defeated sigh. He should have understood Rin; getting the child to sleep was a real pain. “Fine. You can stay awake for a while longer, but you’re not allowed to sleep until after dinner.”

He couldn’t be sure if Sakura had understood him or not, but when the boy giggled and flailed his arms, Haruka’s heart fluttered. Pressing one kiss to Sakura’s forehead, Haruka returned to sitting in front of a stack of boxes, going back to his routine of cutting and opening, cutting and opening. 

Every so often, he made sure to peek behind his shoulder, make sure that Sakura wasn’t getting into any trouble. All the boy did was support himself on the kotatsu and stare at the TV that played on mute, completely immersed with the game show on the screen. 

When it was just him and Sakura, he found that Sakura was far quieter and more docile, possibly wanting to match Haruka’s attitude. It was just that Rin was way more eager and easy to excite compared to Haruka, and the child got swept up in his father’s influence. 

The peaceful aura surrounding them settled Haruka, made him feel at ease. Thrusting the knife through the tape, he opened the flaps of the box, smiling at the contents. A few smaller trophies lay inside; he’d have to find somewhere proper to display them. Before moving in with Rin, he had preferred to keep his signs of achievement hidden away somewhere, but, along with many other points of his life, Rin had changed that. 

Setting the box aside, he moved on. Sweaters in one, trousers in another. One box was filled with swimsuits only. One held books on how to succeed, which Haruka remembered he once teased Rin for reading. The sheer amount made him realize they were going to need a shelf or two for all these at some point. 

When a few minutes passed in silence, save for occasional muddled gurgles, Haruka felt a weight against his back and weak tugs at his shirt. “Sakura,” he murmured, turning his head. “Do you need something?”

Of course Sakura couldn’t properly reply, but he beamed and softly squealed, happy with the attention he had received. Haruka returned the smile and reached over his shoulder, smoothing the little hair the child had back. 

Pleased with that alone, Sakura waddled off, staring at the piles of boxes that had still been left untouched. Haruka watched him carefully, moving to put the knife on one of the taller boxes before crawling over to him. The boy placed his hands on one, grunting and whining as he tried to move it. The minimal strength he had usually went into walking, so the box went nowhere, frustrating the baby. 

It wasn’t until a little while of watching the struggle that Haruka realized he hadn’t seen that particular box before. Scooting closer, he pulled Sakura into his lap and told him to stay put, reading the words written on top of it. Fragile, it said, in what Haruka easily recognized as Rin’s handwriting. 

“...Rin?” 

“Apa--”

“Yes, Papa.” 

Peeling the tape off of it, he hesitated, wondering if it was alright for him to be looking in the first place. He had a distinct feeling in the pit of his gut that he was snooping, but was it really his fault? After all, it was laying out in broad sight. Surely there was nothing bad in it. 

Peeking in, a wave of confusion hit him all at once. A pile of envelopes sat inside, not carefully stacked in the slightest. They might have been at one point; the journey to the new apartment had probably messed them up. Exchanging a glance with Sakura, Haruka pulled one out, opening the flap. As he thought, a single piece of paper wait inside.

Slipping it out, letting Sakura hold onto the envelope after telling him to not chew on it, Haruka opened the folded piece of paper. Once again, Rin’s handwriting, neatly scrawled on the lines. The fact that it was something that Rin had written didn’t surprise him, but the receiver’s address certainly came as a shock.

His old apartment, back from when he first started living in Tokyo.

Putting the paper down, Haruka grabbed for another letter. Same as before; addressed to Nanase Haruka. The third was the same, as was the fourth, and every letter that followed after that. He wasn’t sure how many envelopes were inside the box, but he had a guess that all of them were meant for him.

Really, what _was_ this? It seemed awfully familiar-- Oh, right. A faint memory of years past came to his mind. A letter written for him that had been sent to Yamazaki instead, a tactic Rin had used to avoid sheer embarrassment. 

Taking the first letter he had opened into his hands, Haruka began to skim through it, feeling a warmth build up in his chest. 

_It hasn’t been very long since I left Japan, so I don’t know why I’m writing this. It was just, today, after practice, I felt a super strong urge to. I should write to everyone else, too… It’s unfair if it’s only to you, after all._  
_It’s almost winter in Australia. I’d like to bring you here again. Is that weird? The last time we were here together… It’s nearing a year since then. I had fun. I never asked if you did, but I wish I had. Sorry.  
_ _This is strange._

It abruptly cut off there. Haruka recognized the year with ease. The year they graduated… It seemed like such a long time ago. So distant. 

“I’m starting to sound old,” he muttered, putting the paper aside and grabbing another one. Sakura watched him in silence, wiggling in Haruka’s lap but not going anywhere. Haruka patted his head once before continuing. 

_According to my teammates, I talk about you a lot. I didn’t realize. It’s kind of embarrassing. I guess I can’t really help myself, though.  
This is pointless. I haven’t sent the other letters I’ve written for you, so the fact that I keep doing this… If you ever find out about these, it’s all your fault!_

Another abrupt ending. Haruka’s lips drew into a thin line, carefully folding the paper up and placing it back into its envelope. The letter mentioned others like it, so the fact that he was reading these out of order really messed him up. Another new project; organizing Rin’s belongings. 

He let Sakura pick the next letter, taking it away from the boy before he could start drooling all over it. Didn’t want to risk ruining something so interesting, something that Haruka was definitely going to save.

_I didn’t say anything, but I was really happy when you called. If I had said that, you probably would have said something like “Gross.” or “Don’t say dumb things.” That’s definitely what you would say, right? I think it’s very like you._  
_You didn’t say much, though. That’s also very like you, but try and hold more of a conversation next time~. It’s rough trying to do it on my own! Even your texts are short, and most of the time, they’re just emojis…_  
_I should probably tell you this the next time you call. Otherwise, my message won’t reach you. Haru, please listen to my request~._

If Haruka remembered correctly, Rin had never brought it up. Maybe he had just gotten used to Haruka’s way of texting and talking on the phone. If Rin had just told him, Haruka felt that he might have at least made an effort. 

_My visit to Japan was fun, thanks to you and Makoto. I enjoyed Tokyo~. It was cold as hell, though. I would have liked to have stayed longer, but Gou and Mama were dead set on me visiting. Which I definitely wasn’t against! I got to see Sousuke, too~. He seemed to be doing well._  
_I’d like to come again soon. There’s a lot of things I want to talk to you about. Or, rather, a lot of things have been on my mind. I feel like my teammates here wouldn’t understand, and I’m definitely not going to tell Lori!_  
_When the time comes, I hope you’ll listen, Haru._

Haruka had a vague idea of what Rin had been going on about. Going through the letter once more, he set it aside, the smile he wore only growing in size. After glimpsing at the clock, he picked up one last letter, figuring that Rin would be home soon. He would ask all of his questions then.

The next one had a date written on it that Haruka also recognized with ease. His heart fluttered and a quiet laugh escaped him, and Sakura giggled along with him for no reason. Resting his hand on Sakura’s tummy, he let the baby grab onto his fingers, gnawing on them as he read through the lines. Words written the day after they mutually confessed. He remembered how Rin had cried over the phone, his denial fervent when Haruka mentioned it. 

_I’m glad you heard me out, Haru. I thought you would call me gross, but you didn’t. I’m so happy. My teammates told me today, “Rin, why do you seem to be sparkling?” I couldn’t tell them why, so all I did was laugh and wave them off. I bet I looked cool._  
_When I come to Japan again, I’d like to kiss you. You definitely won’t mind, right? It’ll be embarrassing, though… I don’t know if I can do it! Haru, you’re the worst._  
_I’ve noticed I sound very formal in these letters… This probably doesn’t like the usual me at all, but that doesn’t matter. You’ll never see them. At least, I hope you won’t. I would probably die._  
_I think I’ll keep writing these. It’s easier to get my feelings across through them. Texting you is still difficult. But I wouldn’t have it any other way. (Or maybe I would? I can’t decide.)_  
_Haru, I love you. From here on out, please treat me kindly._

There were many more letters left unread. Rin had truly written a lot, and Haruka wanted to see every last word, but doing so behind Rin’s back didn’t feel right. Placing the letters back into their envelopes and setting them in the box again, he took Sakura out of his lap and picked the box up, setting it atop the kotatsu, checking the clock once more. Anytime now.

He didn’t return to the task of opening the other boxes. Instead, he placed his chin in the palm of his hand, watched Sakura toddle around, the child falling a few times but easily picking himself back up. His perseverance was truly admirable. Haruka figured him and Rin were lucky that they hadn’t ended up with a son who cried so easily. 

Well, at least, compared to Rin’s tendency to bawl his eyes out, Sakura had nothing on him. Haruka snorted at the thought, clapping softly when Sakura managed to get up again after another session of toppling over. 

A couple of minutes passed before the doorknob turned and Rin was entering the apartment, grocery sack on one arm. His cheeks were rosy and he shivered uncontrollably, hurriedly shutting the door behind him before any of the cold winds could find their way in with him. 

“I’m home~,” he announced, sitting to remove his shoes and rub his freezing hands together. “It’s cold as hell out there, Haru.” A squeal sounded that put a grin on Rin’s face, laughing when Sakura came running and fell into his arms. “Yes, yes, I’m home. Sakura, were you good?”

“Ah!”

“Ah~.” 

Standing with Sakura in tow, he turned to Haruka, ready for a nice dinner and a relaxing session of watching TV together, but he visibly tensed up when he saw the box that sat on the kotatsu. That was… 

His stomach leapt into his throat, the memory of packing letters up into the cardboard flooding back to him. Had Haruka seen them? The stare directed at Rin was as good an answer as anything. 

“Rin.”

“H-Haru.”

Ducking his head, he shuffled past Haruka and into the kitchen, setting the groceries on the counter. He could feel Haruka’s eyes still on him, sending a shiver up his spine, the iciness colder than any weather he had felt before. 

“Rin…”

“Yes…? Ah, uh… How about I cook dinner tonight? Since you’re so busy with the boxes and all~.” 

Peeking back at Haruka, he grimaced, holding Sakura closer as if the child could save him somehow. Flustered, he turned his gaze away and put the boy down, beginning to instead take the ingredients he had bought out of the bag while humming, though it was strained and a tad frantic.

When he heard Haruka get up and start digging in their fridge, he spared a glance over, the hairs on the back of his neck standing up when the other man brought out a few cubes of ice. _Really?_ He was going to be punished like _this?_

“Haru--”

“Rin.” Haruka approached him slowly, making Rin back away. One step forward from Haruka, another step back from Rin. They continued until Rin was trapped against a counter. gripping the edge of it, Haruka blocking his only way of escape. “If you don’t talk, I’ll put these down your shirt.”

“No, fuck you! You wouldn’t!”

“I would.”

Rin knew that Haruka was definitely _not_ lying. The determination in his eyes was frightening, but the slowly melting cubes were even worse. Rin swallowed thickly before he lowered his gaze out of shame and fear, muttering his surrender under his breath.

“Speak up, Rin--”

“I said I’d talk, so put those away!”

Pleased with the turn of events, Haruka did as he was told, wearing a smug look that Rin desperately wanted to wipe off his face. Dragging his feet, Rin went and sat at the kotatsu, glaring at the box of letters sitting in front of him.

Haruka joined him after picking Sakura up, taking a seat across the table from Rin, pushing the box further towards him. “So…”

“So…” Eyes falling to his lap, Rin fidgeted before rubbing the back of his neck, heaving out a sigh. “Um… How many did you read…”

“...Five.”

“...I see.”

Rin didn’t immediately say anything, trying to gather the right words, a proper explanation. Haruka was patient with him, but the way he stared made Rin’s heart rate increase. Licking his lips, Rin reached into the box, taking out the first letter he took hold of. 

Opening the envelope, he read through the words, his cheeks heating up until the red painting them reached the very tips of his ears. He covered his mouth with one hand, ashamed that he had written such unseemly and sappy things as a teenager.

“You never sent them,” Haruka said, breaking the silence. “Why?”

“It would have been embarrassing,” Rin answered, meeting Haruka’s eyes as he put the letter on the table top. “Besides, I texted you and called you pretty often, so sending letters would have been useless. These were more like a journal--”

“You already have a journal.”

“These were a _different_ kind of journal.” He didn’t know how to say it; he wasn’t really sure why himself. Years had passed since the letters were written, and he hardly remembered what he had said in the first place. He just knew that he didn’t want Haruka to read more than what he had already seen. 

Thinking that, he grabbed the box and brought it closer to him, clearing his throat. Haruka arched a brow up at him, head tilted to the side. 

“Rin?”

“I’ll get rid of them.”

Haruka’s heart skipped a beat in panic. “No. I want to read them.” 

“Well, I don’t want you to, and they’re mine, so…”

A small scowl forming, Haruka huffed, putting a wide eyed and puzzled Sakura out of his lap so he could stand and go to Rin. There was no way the other was going to get off this easily. “They’re addressed to me, so they’re mine.”

“What? That makes no sense!” Rin had stood with him and lifted the box high above his head, trying to keep it out of Haruka’s reach, groaning as he made move to escape. “I never sent them, so they’re mine!”

“That isn’t fair!”

“It _is_ fair!”

Haruka thought Rin a dummy for his tactics; they were only two centimeters apart in height. It would have been different if Rin were taller, but he wasn’t, so Haruka lunged forward, grabbing onto the box and jerking it back towards him. Grunting, Rin did the same, and they continued until it was an all out tug of war. 

“Rin!”

“I’ll fight you, Haru!”

Glaring one another down, they both pulled on the opposite ends of the box. To say this wasn’t uncommon would be a lie. One could ask any of their friends and they’d answer, _“Oh, those two have been doing things like that for years now.”_ Even Sakura had grown oddly used to it, crawling past his fathers without a care. 

Finally, with one harsh tug, Rin snatched the box away from Haruka and let out a victorious howl of laughter, stumbling backwards in a game of keep away. Wearing a pompous grin, he stuck his tongue out at the other, failing to watch where his feet were going.

“I win, Haru! This means you’ll never read these letters! _Never!_ ”

It wasn’t until he heard a squeak ring out that he realized he had made a dire mistake, and he yelped as he tripped over one of Sakura’s plush toys, the box falling with him and the letters scattering every which way on the floor. 

Hissing and cursing, he sat up, rubbing the back of his head where it had connected with the ground. Haruka’s stomach curled in worry and he was upon Rin in an instant, kneeling in front of him and carefully reaching around to feel the growing bump. The other man flinched but allowed Haruka to do so, lower lip trembling as the pain slowly began to subside.

Really, Rin had done a number on himself. Leaning back with brows drawn together, Haruka used his thumbs to wipe at the tears that had sprung to the corners of Rin’s eyes. “You’re careless,” he murmured, cupping Rin’s cheeks as the man tried to look away from him. 

“I don’t wanna hear that coming from you.” Brushing Haruka’s hands away, he looked at the mess of papers surrounding the two of them and moaned his exasperation out. “Damn…”

Not saying anything, Haruka watched him for a few moments before he moved, beginning to gather the letters together and put them into a nice and neat stack. “Rin.”

“Hm…”

“Why do you not want me to read these?”

Rin looked to him, finding that Haruka no longer stared back, making him feel a little at ease. “I already told you. They’re embarrassing.”

“So what?” After making one more stack, Haruka sat back, hands folded in his lap. “ _You’re_ embarrassing.”

Frowning at the comment and putting a wrinkle in his forehead, Rin narrowed his eyes. “Don’t be mean.”

“I’m not.” Scooting closer to Rin, Haruka sat crosslegged in front of him, and Rin mimicked the position, still gently rubbing at the bump on his head. “I’m just saying, whatever you said in these letters, I already know everything.”

“...Whadya mean…”

“Rin.” Smoothing his fingers over Rin’s cheek, Haruka moved his hand to the nape of the man’s neck and pulled him forward into a gentle kiss. Rin’s lips were chapped, probably from the cold weather outside. “How many years have we been together?”

“Uh…” Trying to find an answer, Rin hummed in thought. “Six, I think?”

“Mm.” Haruka nodded as he placed their foreheads together, breathing out softly. “Yeah. Six, probably. I don’t think I’ll find anything new in the letters. You’ve already said everything there is to be said, haven’t you?”

Closing his eyes, Rin’s lashes brushed against Haruka’s cheeks, tickling the skin. He didn’t say anything before a little smile played at his lips. “Yeah… I suppose so. I’ve gotten a lot braver since I was a teenager.”

“You still cry just as much.”

“Do not~.”

“Do too.” 

Sharing a quiet laugh, Rin took Haruka’s face between his hands, sighing against his lips in a short kiss. He pulled away and gave a couple more pecks before he let Haruka go. 

“Alright, I give in. You can read them.” He enjoyed how Haruka visibly brightened at his words. “Consider them an early Christmas gift?”

“Are you sure you’re not just being cheap?” Haruka teased, starting to put the letters back together again. 

Rin snorted and shrugged his shoulders, brows raised. “Perhaps. Besides, you’ve already given me a gift.”

“...I have?” Haruka didn’t remember that at all, but he understood when Rin nodded his head to something behind him. Turning, his chest warmed and a smile spread out on his lips, eyes on Sakura as the boy finally lay on his blankets, fast asleep. He _had_ been abnormally quiet. “Ah.”

“Only _your_ son could sleep through that chaos,” Rin snickered, voice lowered as he quietly began to help Haruka with the letters. “You wouldn’t wake up even if the _world_ was ending.”

“Shut up. You just sleep too lightly.”

“Do not.”

“Do too.”

They ended their little quarrel there, both working to organize the letters by date. With the sheer amount Rin had written, it took close to thirty minutes to make sure everything was correct. Satisfied, Haruka grabbed for a random one, opening the flap.

“For real?” Rin grumbled, sitting behind him, looking over his shoulder with arms around his waist. “After all that work, you’re gonna read them out of order?”

“No. I just wanted to know what I’m in store for.”

“...You already read five of them--”

“Be quiet, Rin.” 

Grumbling under his breath, Rin pouted and looked away as Haruka began to skim through the page. It was only when he heard Haruka snort and saw the man put a hand to his mouth did he grow worried, stomach filled with butterflies.

“W-What is it…”

“Rin… I didn’t know you enjoyed poetry…”

For a few beats, Rin stayed stock still before he thrust his leg forward, knocking the stacks over with a frantic laugh. Jerking the letter out of Haruka’s hand, he scrambled away, clutching it close to his chest with cheeks flaring up and eyes wide. 

“I’ve changed my mind! You can’t read them!”

“You already said I could!”

“That was in the past, Haru!” Gulping, he skimmed through the words he had written years ago, his heart hammering against his ribcage. “And, uh, I’ve said a _lot_ of things I’ve regretted in the past! Telling you that you could read these was one of them!”

“That’s no fair!”

“It _is_ fair!”

A whiny yawn made them both shut up, directing their attention to the still sleeping Sakura, who wiggled a bit before relaxing again once everything was silent. They immediately composed themselves, glad they didn’t wake the child up, and both raised a finger to their lips, shushing one another. 

Crawling back to Haruka, Rin returned the letter to him, smiling bashfully. “Hey, I’ll make dinner. If you find something funny in these, don’t laugh, okay? It’ll hurt my pride.” 

Haruka didn’t make any promises, only nodding and accepting the kiss that Rin gave him before the man stood up. Putting a blanket over Sakura, Rin glanced back at Haruka with a loving smile before heading to the kitchen. 

Left to his own devices, Haruka began to read through the letters, one by one. Thanks to Rin’s little stunt, they were definitely out of order again, but Haruka didn’t mind that so much. Their lives together didn’t have any organization in the first place, so this was nothing new in his eyes. 

Aside from bits of poetry that Haruka was positive Rin had pulled off the internet, Rin had written of his days in Australia, about conversations he had with his family, about how much he missed Haruka. He felt that each word had been filled with hope, the sight of a bright future clear in Rin’s mind. One letter read, _“Haru, I’d like to spend that future with you. Please, accept this wish of mine.”_

Sparing a glance over his shoulder at Rin, who stood at their stove with an apron on, Haruka’s heart fluttered. His gaze then moved to Sakura, happy and healthy with pink cheeks and fingers curled into fists, his belly rising and falling with each breath he took. Truly, Haruka could have never dreamed of anything better.

“Rin?”

“Hm?” Rin looked to him, beaming when he saw the smile that decorated Haruka’s lips. “What’s up?”

“...Nothing.”

“Huh? What’s with that?”

Not giving him an answer, Haruka turned his head away, folding the paper up and letting it rest in his lap. He leaned his head back, closed his eyes, took a deep breath. If Rin had sent that letter way back then, he wondered what he would have written back. 

...No. He already had a good idea.

_Dear Rin,_

_Marry me._

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! I love Rin and Haru as fathers, so this was a joy to write, and I had a lot of fun. Thank you for reading! Comments and kudos are always appreciated!  
> Sakura is very cute~.


End file.
